'I will do anything you wish, sir,' said Mrs. Jenkins; 'and I am sure Annette will say the same.' 'Mais oui, mais oui,' assented Annette eagerly. 'Well, then, you promise to be very cautious in your own manner, looks, and speech--not to let Mrs. Griswold hear you talking to one another in any unusual way; not to go into her room with frightened faces, or with anything in your look which could lead her to think that this day is different from any other day in any respect. Will you promise me to keep a perpetual watch over yourselves, and to remember that all we want is a few hours' interval, during which I and other friends of Mrs. Griswold's may be quite sure that no one will be allowed to see her who can talk to her about the distressing rumour which has just reached New York, and yet that she will not suspect that any such watchfulness is being observed?' Again he received assuring nods from the two women. 'I must also beg you,' he continued, 'to be very particular to keep every newspaper out of your mistress's sight until after the next time I shall have been here; make any excuse and every excuse that comes in your heads, but don't permit her to get hold of a single evening paper or any morning paper of to-day. I hope none have found their way to her room this morning?' 'No, I think not,' said Mrs. Jenkins. 'You haven't seen any newspapers about, Annette?' 'No,' Annette replied; 'madame had not asked for any newspapers, and she had taken none up to her.' 'You need not be frightened on that point,' said Mrs. Jenkins; 'for I never saw a lady with so little curiosity about news as Mrs. Griswold. She reads the weeklies sometimes, when they are all about books and interesting things that are happening in the world; but I have known her go a whole week without looking into a daily; and we will keep them out of her way, if by any perverse chance she should take it into her head to want to see them. She is not given to scolding, but I daresay Jim would not mind taking a scolding from her for not having thought of fetching an evening paper, if it is for her.' 'Don't make yourself uneasy, sir; not but what we should like to have a look at what they say.' 'They don't say anything,' said Thornton Carey; 'at least, they have not said it yet. The news has come by private cable message, and I am only afraid of its getting into the later editions. I shall be here tomorrow early, and implicitly trust you in this matter. There is another thing, too, you will have to be very careful about, if you please.' 'Certainly, sir,' said Mrs. Jenkins. 'What is that?' 'It is just possible that a telegram may come, directed to Mrs. Griswold.' 'From Europe, sir?' 'No,' said Thornton Carey; 'from Chicago.' Mrs. Jenkins started slightly, and said: 'Chicago! Is there anything wrong there?'